bittersweetheart
by cold clouds
Summary: 'We should all believe in something, wise-girl.' 'Well, Jackson, I believe you owe me a coffee.' In which Percy wants to drive, Annabeth wants to disappear, and nothing spoils hot cocoa like the rain. Mortal AU


**Hi lovely readers! This story was inspired by many long weeks of merciless rain and bad weather. Soo the typical British autumn, basically. Hope you enjoy!**

*WARNING: CONTAINS SWEARING.*

*disclaimer- I don't own PJO. _Sigh._ *

'We should all believe in _something,_ wise-girl.' 'Well, Jackson, _I_ believe you owe me a coffee.' In which Percy wants to drive, Annabeth wants to disappear, and nothing spoils hot cocoa like the rain. Mortal AU

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bitter/sweetheart. 

A young man sat at the seat by the window inside a little coffee shop. The rain outside was torrential, and he was mildly concerned for a certain someone who usually would have met him by now. Any time soon he expected to catch a glimpse of golden curls tucked inside a familiar red hood, and then a girl in stone-washed jeans would come charging through the door.

'Sir?' a barista came up to his table, 'are you ready to order?'

This girl was clearly new to the job as he had never seen her before. She had long caramel hair swept up in a ponytail and twinkling almond eyes. Her smile was contagious, so despite all the pent-up worry he had for his friend in the storm, he grinned back at her.

'Thank you, but not just yet! I'm just waiting for someone. We come here all the time, and we always order together. I'm Percy, by the way. I haven't seen you before?'

'I go by Calypso. And yeah, this is my first day,' she shrugged, still smiling, 'I work extra hours plus the night shift, but I'm loving it here! It's so good to meet you, Percy! It's rare to find really polite customers nowadays, but it seems this place is full of gentlemen. You know an hour ago the sun was shining and now here we are, in the middle of a full-blown storm! So weird. I suppose it'll clear up in no time since it's always changing. We might see a rainbow, just wait a couple of minutes!'

Judging from the lightning flashes outside, it didn't really look like that would happen anytime soon, but Percy replied good-naturedly even so. She was bubbly, and he had to admit it was refreshing.

'Okay, I'll swing by later for you and your friend!' The barista gave him a friendly wink before making a beeline for the next table.

Percy smiled to himself a while longer in simple astonishment. She had to be the happiest person he'd talked to in months! He often relied on himself to be the optimistic one in any conversation, but this girl sure had him beat.

Most days now, in fact, he had only the bitterest things on his mind. Annabeth's favourite, crunchy dark chocolate, her regular, steaming black coffee, and last, but in no way least, Annabeth Chase herself.

He still loved her, of course. She was clever, beautiful, and not to mention hilarious, but that didn't mean she wasn't still the epitome of proud, angry and dejected most of the time. She was probably worse than both her coffee and chocolate put together, and though Percy couldn't stand sad, bitter things, Annabeth was an exception.

Because sometimes on those rare, magical good days, she could be the most delightful creature in the cosmos.

When she laughed, _really_ laughed, her eyes glittered like the falling rain, and all at once he'd be falling in love with the hurricane.

Just for those really good days, he would gladly relive all her temper-tantrums.

Today was apparently not one of those days.

The moment she crashed through the entrance, soaked to the skin with frizzed hair, wild eyes and a thunderous frown, heads snapped her way in shock.

'So…' Percy fidgeted as chair legs screeched across the floor, 'how'd it go?'

'Fucking awful!' Annabeth Chase flopped down into her seat opposite the dark-haired boy. It wasn't 'her' seat, so to speak. She didn't own it. But the two of them had come to the same coffee shop together every day for nearly two years now, so technically yeah. It was her seat.

'He told me I was rude and incompetent. _Rude!_ Right to my face! What an arrogant, good-for-nothing-'

Percy flinched with every word the blonde girl spat, throwing apologetic glances to the flustered customers nearby.

To be honest, Annabeth was known for her sharp-tongue, and it never seemed to fail at getting her in trouble. Despite her impressive IQ, her attitude never did her any favours during job interviews.

Percy knew it was pointless to interrupt his friend in all her fury, so he waited patiently until the last curse left her lips.

'All because he's a trashy mother-fucking sexist piece of SHIT! I didn't want to work in retail anyway. FUCK!' She finished poetically, before slumping back down in defeat.

After a short silence, with only the muffled roar of the wind and the scuff of the barista's shoes to be heard, Annabeth gave a deep sigh. 'Why am I such a mess, Percy?'

'You're not a mess!' He insisted, ready to jump right into his usual ' _you're amazing and smart and they were dumb not to hire you and you'll get the job next time'_ best-friend speech.

But for some reason, maybe because of Annabeth's expectant grey glare, it never came.

'Actually you know what? Don't answer that. I don't to hear it. You say the same nice things every time I screw something up, Jackson, but I think I'd prefer it if you just said something real for once. Nice words don't do much for me anymore.'

She hadn't taken her sodden red raincoat off yet, and the lingering drops plopped loudly onto the wooden floor below. Dirty blonde ringlets hung in straggly tendrils around her face because she hadn't even bothered to pull her hood up in the storm, go figure, and the bags under her eyes were stained dark purple like bruises.

So instead of saying the usual, uplifting thing, Percy Jackson startled the both of them by saying, 'you look so tired, Annabeth.'

The moment he had spoken, he mentally prepared himself for the girl's lightning response, quick and striking, but that, too, never came.

'Ugh, I know. Did someone actually tattoo the stress lines to my forehead or what?' came her dry reply. 'I'm exhausted from… all of this,' Annabeth gestured around her, 'of everything. I don't even know why I came here. I think I'm just going to grab some coffee and call it a day.'

'Hey, don't be like that,' Percy leaned across the table to hold her small, pale hands. Her shaking fingers was the only indication she gave to tell him she was trying hard not to cry.

'You owe me a drink, Jackson. I paid last time.' She sighed. 'Oh my God, I'm just so _done._ Everyone either hates me, or I hate them. I'll never get a job… I'm a wreck.'

'Just keep your eyes on the prize, Wise Girl.' Percy said, 'stick to what you believe in. Fight for it, and you'll get what you need.'

Her response was a hard stare, as if to say, _Wow, did you seriously just say that?_

Instead, she said, 'But what if I don't believe in anything?'

Percy shook his head slowly. 'Well, that's just not possible! We should all believe in _something,_ wise-girl.'

'Well, Jackson,' she let go of his and and leaned back in her chair, ' _I_ believe you owe me a coffee.'

When Calypso came over to take their order, again they lapsed into an uneasy silence. The awkward tension didn't seem to faze her though, as she exchanged smiles and small-talk with them as if Annabeth hadn't been swearing like a sailor a few minutes ago.

Annabeth took in the appearance of the other girl. Pretty. She didn't look like something the cat had dragged in, dripping from the rain and foul-tempered from life's injustice. Actually, her depressingly positive character reminded Annabeth of the boy opposite her.

'Thanks, Calypso.'

'No problem, sir! I'll get your drinks right away.'

Her heels clipped against the wood as she left them to wallow in silence again. Or so Percy thought.

'Bitch,' Annabeth muttered, probably louder than she meant to.

'What the heck, Annabeth?' Percy stared, appalled.

'What?'

'That was unnecessary. She might have heard you!'

'You're so typical, Perce,' she scowled drearily, 'you care so much about what other people think. Get over yourself.'

Calypso came back after a minute or so, steaming black coffee in one hand and a hot chocolate with sprinkles and marshmallows in the other.

Percy noticed immediately how much more distant the barista was. She seemed nervous and upset as she passed the cup over to Annabeth with slightly shaking fingers, staring at it with desperate concentration.

'YOU FUCKING KLUTZ!'

The screech echoed through the shop as burning black liquid drenched Annabeth's already wet raincoat.

'GODDAMN IT TO HELL! FUCK! Get me a fucking napkin already!'

The green-eyed boy gaped, aghast as the poor barista ran to get a cloth. She was flushed scarlet as Annabeth's coat and her eyes flashed with humiliated tears.

'Good God, Annabeth. Are you drunk?'

'No, just bitter. Just like my FUCKING COFFEE. WHICH IS ALL OVER ME, BY THE WAY.'

There was no reason to it anymore. Without saying another word, Percy grabbed his drink, grasped the blonde's hand and dragged her out of the shop before they were thrown out altogether.

'OW, GET OFF! WHAT THE HELL, PERCY? ARE YOU _MANHANDLING_ ME? LET ME GO!'

'Shut _up_ , Annabeth!' he groaned as rain threatened to split his skull. He wrestled her into the shotgun seat of his truck and tumbled in the other side. He set his hot cocoa beside him in a cup-holder.

'We're leaving.'

Annabeth's chest heaved with big, shaky breaths. The rain drops on her cheeks looked an awful lot like tears now her eyes were rimmed red.

She said nothing for a while. Percy sensed her calming down as the engine revved up and the rhythm of the wind-screen-wipers swung into motion.

'Where are we going?' she eventually asked, her voice low and steady.

'I'm taking you home.'

'No!' Annabeth sat up, her back rigid. 'Not yet! Let's go somewhere else.'

The green-eyed boy sighed. 'In this storm, Annabeth? You're joking.'

'Please! Let's go somewhere. Anywhere. Let me drive!'

'No way in hell.' Percy stated, slightly angry now. 'For what it's worth, you could be intoxicated with something. Under the influence. I thought you were smarter than that?'

'I'm not drunk, Percy. You know I'm not.'

'Then how do you explain the way you treated the barista? She did nothing to you, and you screamed at her. What was that, Annabeth?'

Again she said nothing for a while. The storm outside was somewhat comforting in the sense that at least in filled the gaping spaces between their conversations.

'I'm sorry, Percy.'

And that was that.

She didn't look at him, just stared out at the bleak heavens. She did that a lot.

 _Maybe that's why her eyes are so grey,_ he mused, _because she always looks into the cloudiest skies._

'You have loud thoughts.' Annabeth chewed on her lip. 'I know what you're thinking.'

'Oh yeah?' Percy challenged the sulking girl.

'You think I'm crazy.'

'No I don't-'

'Yes you do!' she insisted. 'You think I'm sad and angry and miserable and certifiably insane. So why in the world do you put up with me still? And please don't say something mushy and stupid.'

Percy gave her a sideways smile, despite the fact she was turned away.

But he didn't answer the question.

'Here, have some of my drink. I'm sorry about what happened to yours.'

The blonde made a face. 'Honestly, Percy. Why would I want hot cocoa? And are those artificially coloured sprinkles? Remind me how old you are again.'

'Shut up,' he chuckled, 'just try it! Having something sweet from time to time won't hurt, you know.'

She mumbled something about his daily sugar intake and 'this is why you're hyperactive, seaweed brain,' before taking a tiny sip.

It was sweet. It was nice. It warmed her on the inside.

'You missed the turning,' Annabeth pointed out as he sped past her street.

'I know. But it's not like I'm taking you back to your house or anything.'

Annabeth brought her knees up to her chest best she could with a seatbelt on, and nestled back against the seat. She was happy knowing they were going somewhere far, far away.

'I met a guy today who might interest you,' Percy wondered aloud, 'he said he runs an architecture firm. He could offer you an internship maybe?'

'Maybe,' she nodded, her voice barely a whisper.

Figuring out she perhaps didn't want to discuss her employment status yet, he quickly switched the subject.

Marshmallows melted in her mouth as she listened to Percy prattle on about his vanilla versus toffee debate. She usually would join in, because really the vanilla aroma was irresistible to her, but she was still waiting for her tears to dry.

She hadn't always been this way. Once, even the idea she'd ever be out of control and unemployed was ridiculous. She was undoubtedly clever, organised and talented. A natural success story.

Then the storm gathered, and the rain began to fall. Her parents divorced and her mother left for Los Angeles, and it only got darker and colder from there.

When her father re-married close to the day of her tenth birthday, perhaps Annabeth's smiles seemed a little more strained. Maybe she became a little bossier as the months dragged on, but nothing drastic occurred. She was still a gold-star student and sure enough, by the end of the year, was top of her class.

She got two new brothers soon after. Her father was happy. Yes, her step-mom was snide at times but hey, life couldn't be completely perfect.

But then she received a postcard one day. A typical, _Love from California_ postcard. There was a picture on it of a very blue sky and very tall palm trees. Yes, everything looked very much perfect in the picture.

So she ignored it.

She didn't look at it for nearly three days. It wasn't until her family received word of a tragic death that she did, and regretfully so, read her late mother's suicide note.

It was ironic to Annabeth. A typical holiday postcard, written on with the grimmest intentions. It made her sick.

The worst part was, after just a few weeks, people forgot to care.

Her father kept working, her step-mother kept nagging, her school friends kept gossiping and Annabeth kept to herself.

She just wanted to understand. To get to the bottom of the sadness. To know why her mother would leave her in that way, with nothing but a note. That was why she ran away for the first time.

Running away was like running back home. Her _real_ home. To a real family.

That 'real' family, if only for a short while, was Luke Castellan and Thalia Grace.

Two kids neglected by people who _should_ have cared. Annabeth fit right in. But things fell apart, as they always do. The rain kept on coming.

Maybe Thalia shouldn't have stood up to a notorious gang-leader in a gloomy alleyway. Maybe then she wouldn't be in hospital.

Maybe Annabeth should never have trusted a hysterical, grieving boy with a knife. Maybe then he wouldn't be in prison.

Maybe Annabeth should never have run away at all.

But maybe, maybe it was the best thing to do.

Not the right thing, not the kind thing. Certainly not the rational thing. But the best thing.

Because when she first found twelve-year-old Percy Jackson on a very white beach by a very green sea, she decided she'd found her very own perfect place.

Why the Jacksons took her in she would never know. She was a walking hurricane with a lightning tongue and rain in her eyes. But they liked her, somehow. A lot. And she was sure she loved them even more.

Annabeth jumped slightly as the engine stopped. She couldn't quite tell where they were.

They toppled out of the car together in the frozen, bitter air. The hot cocoa was still barely warm in Annabeth's grip, but quickly the rain changed it to runny brown sludge. 'No!' she whined, 'my hot cocoa!'

' _Your_ hot cocoa?' Percy lifted an eyebrow, amused, 'pretty sure _I_ paid for it, wise-girl.'

Despite his mocking tone, he leaned in close to whisper, 'I knew you'd like it.'

Suddenly, Annabeth realized she could smell salt in the air, fresh and inviting.

'You lied to me.' Annabeth glared at the boy beside her. A sunshine boy, with a dazzling smile and a glowing heart. He was happy. _She_ made him happy, for some reason.

And he made _her_ happy. Especially right then, when they wandered down a very white beach under a very dark sky. The sea was very green, and the clouds were very grey. For the two of them, it was very much perfect.

'How did I _lie_ to you?' he asked, grinning as she glowered.

She subtly slid her hand into his, because it just might be the last time she would ever run away.

'You said you wouldn't take me home.'

'I said I wouldn't take you to your _house,_ not your home. I'll always do my best to bring you home, Annabeth.'

She couldn't hear him very well over the thunder, but that was fine. For the first time in her life, Annabeth never wanted to storm to end.

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 **Hello again, dear readers. I know this isn't a full-on Percabeth fic. I feel their romantic relationship here is more of a suggestion. A love-story for a time beyond. A hint into the future, if you will. The point is, in this they have a best friend/ sibling platonic bond, but with the definite promise of an even more intimate relationship later, when their lives are figured out perhaps. I don't know, and honestly I kind of like not knowing.**

 **Leave a comment in the reviews if you'd like me to make this a two-shot.**

 **-Cat**


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